Milk sampler



Jam.` 2, 1940. z J, QLLIE r 2,185,651I V MILK SAMPLER I l l Filed Aug. V6, 1958 A TTORNEY Patented Jan. 2, 1940 PATENT-OFFICE' MILK SAMPLER l John Solle, Oakland, Calif. Application August 6, 1938, Serial No. 223,468

v7 Claims.

Milk sampling devices consisting of a tube '5 Within a tube, there being slots or apertures in the two tubes which are adapted to be brought into registry to open and close the device in the taking of `a sample, are well knownv in the art. The present invention consists in improvements n) in milk Sampling devices embodying these basic elements. `It is an object of this invention to provide an efiicient and simpliiied means to open and close the sampler. Another object of the invention is to providev a convenient means for i5 varying the quantity of the fluid taken as a sample. Additionally, it is an object of the invention to provide an eicient means for emptying the sampler of its fluid contents.

These and other objects will become more 2 apparent as this specification proceeds and the invention will be particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawing forming apart hereof, Figure 1 is a perspective view of a milk sampler constructed according to my invention, Figure 2 is a vertical or longitudinal section I of the device on? my invention disclosing the means for varying the quantity of the sample,

Figure 3 is a top plan view of the mechanism employed to open and close the sampler,

Figure e is a cross-section of the sampler body to show the relation of theports therein when the device is closed,4 y l Figure 5 is a top plan View, partly in section, 35 of the sampler actuating mechanism of Figure 3 showing the position of the latter when the sampler is open,

Figure is a cross-section of the sampler body showing the ports therein in open position or m opposite that shown in Figure 4, y f

Figure'l is a side elevation of the head of the sampler illustrating the control means for thev sampler opening and closing mechanism, and` lil As will be noted from FigureZ-of the drawing, f

55 the outer tube I I is open at, its bottom end while inner tube I2 lits' snugly therein and'has a closed bottom end I5.`

A head 'I6 is providedv for the upper end of outer tube ll and has a bore I'I therethrough to receive the inner tube I2. Theupper end vv5 of the bore I'I in head .I6 is enlarged to form a recess I8, for a purpose which will be hereinafter explained. l

'An arm 20, formed as an integral part vof and projecting at right angles from the head I6 '10 serves as one-half of the` grip for the operator. The second half oi the grip is provided by an arm 2l pivotally connected to the outer end of arm 2t, as at 22. A yrack segment 23 attached to the inner end of arm 2| is adapted to be 15 moved through an aperture 2t at the ljuncture v 0i head IIS and arm 2G, being constantly engaged vwith a pinion gear 25 keyed to inner tube I2 and tted in the recess I8 in head I6.

The function of the mechanism justdescribed, '-20 as is obvious, is to rotatethe inner tube I2 Withrespect to outer tube II and open and close the ports I3 and I4. The arms 2li and 2! are normally spread apart by a coil spring SI2 disposed therebetween, which is to say that the l,25 ports I3 an Id are in closed position, as indicated in Figure 4. When it is desired that a sample be taken the operator squeezes arm 2| toward the arm 2i), overcoming the tension of spring SIB and thus rotates innervtube I2 with30 respect to outer tube II until the ports I 3 and I4 are brought into registry or in open position as indicated in. Figure 6 of the drawing. Figure 5 illustrates the relative'position of the arms 20 and 2l when the ports are in the open position 3,5

illustrated in Figure I3;

vAs a means `of locking the sampler in positive open position to the end that a true sample may be taken, Ik provide a trigger 35 pivotally mounted, as at 36, on the top of arm ZIJ in 140 a position convenient to the thumb of the operator. A pin 31 attached to one end' of trigger 35 extends through a portion of the head I6 into the aperture 24, ridesin the slot 38 in rack segment 23 when released, and is urged into the hole 39 in rack segment 23 to lock the sampler in its open position (Figures 5 and 6) when spring M) urges trigger 35 about its pivot 3S.

The inner tube I2 is provided withl a T-head .50 45 to serve as a handle for convenient separa'- tion and cleaning of the parts of lthe sampler, there beingbut a irictional engagement .between l the inner and outer tubes: I I and I2 respectively. A bail 46, secured to the head I6 permits the es suspension of the device, if desired, in the taking of sample or when the same is not in use.

As will be notedfrom Figures 1, 2, 4 and 5, longitudinally extending iins 4T are disposed on either side of the slots I3. The purpose of the ns is to prevent the iluid being discharged from the sampler iiowing around the outer surfaces of the tube II and to direct its flow toward the bottom end of the tube II and into a samJole receptacle.

Inasmuch as the quantity of sample of various fluids, such for example as milk, varies in the dilerent States and jurisdictions, I have provided a convenient and yet eicient means of varying the capacity of my sampler. Figure 8 shows a rod 50, having its upper end bent tov provide a handle 5I, adapted to be inserted in inner tube I2 with the handle 5I overhanging the T-head 415. In actual practice a plurality of displacement rods 5I! would be provided, each being of a different diameter. Therefore, if in taking a sample of milk in the State of Caliiornia we assume that the law requires a pint sample, i. e., normal capacity of the sampler, and it be assumed that the law ofv the same State with respect to the sampling of olive oil or any other fluid called for a half pint sample, one would merely have to select from a plurality of rods 5I! one designated as being of suflicient vdiameter to reduce the capacity of inner tube I2 by one-half.

In operation the operator inserts the sampler I into a tank or other receptacle of milk or other iiuids in the closed position illustrated in Figures l and 3 in the drawing. Whenl the sampler Il! has been inserted to the proper depth, the handles 2U and 2l are gripped and the latter is squeezed toward the former against the urge of spring 3l). Rack segment 23 is thus caused to move in aperture 2li, rotating inner tube I2 by engagement with the pinion gear 25. When the handles 20 and 2| have been moved into the position illustrated in Figure 5 of the drawing, pin 3l drops into the hole 39 in rack segment 23 to lock the sampler in its open position (see Figure 6). The fluid being sampled will enter inner tube I3 through the ports I3 and I il, extending for substantially the entire length of the tubes II and I2, and therefore a true sample of the luid at all levels in the tank Will be obtained. When the sampler is lled the operator releases trigger 35 by pressing the same downwardly against the urge of spring ll to lift pin 31 out of engagement with the rack segment 23, whereupon arm 2I is urged away from arm 28 under the tension of coil spring 30, the rack and pinion turninginner tube I2 to close the ports I3 and I4 (see Figure 4). A pinr 52, disposed at the outer end of rack segment Z3, acts as a stop against head IG to check the movement of arm 2l and rack segment 23 under the urge of spring 30.

From the foregoing it is clear that I have devised an inexpensive and yet highly eicient mechanism for the purpose described and while a preferred form of my invention is illustrated in the drawing, the invention may take other forms, lfor which reason I do not wish to be understood as limiting myself to the single form shown but desire full protection according to the scope of the appended claims.

The invention claimed is:

1. In a sampling device for fluids embodying a pair of telescoped tubes each having a plurality of longitudinally extending slots adapted to be brought into registry to open the device, a head rigidly attached to the outer tube, a handle member integral with said head, a pinion gear on the inner tube', a rack segment engaging said gear, an arm pivotally connected at one end to said handle and at its other end to said rack and movable relative to said handle to rotate the inner tube in opening and closing the device, and yieldable means normally urging apart said arm and said handle. y

2. In a sampling device'for uidsembodying a pair of telescoped tubes each'having a plurality of longitudinally extending slots adapted to be brought into registry to open the device, a head rigidly attached to the outer tube, a handle mem-` ber integral with said head,` a pinion gear on the inner tube, a rack segment engaging 'said "I gear, an arm pivotally connected at one end to said handle and at its other end to said rack and movable relative to said handle to rotate the inner tube in opening and closing the device, yieldable means normally urging apart said arm and said handle, and means limiting the spread of said arm and said handle under the urge of l said yieldable means to define closed position of said inner tube. l

3. In a sampling device for a pair of telescoped tubes each having a plurality of longitudinally extending slots adapted to be brought into registry tol open the device, a head rigidly attached to the outer tube, a handle member integral with said head, a pinion gear on the inner tube, a rack segmentengaging saidl gear, an arm pivotally connected at one end to said handle and at its other end to said rrack and movable relative to said handle to rotate the inner tube in opening and closing the device, yieldable means normally urging apart said arm and said handle, means limiting the spread of said handle under the urge vof said yieldable means to dene the closed position of said innerY tube, and means for locking said arm and said handle when compressed and against the tension of said yieldable means to maintain the device in its opened condition. y

4. In a sampling device for fluids embodying a pair of telescoped tubes each having a plurality of longitudinally extending slots adapted to be brought into registry to open the device, a head rigidly attached to the outer tube, a handle member integral with said head, a pinion gear on the inner tube, a rack segment engaging said` gear, an arm pivotally connected at one end to said handle and at its other end to said rack and movable relative to said handle to rotate the inner tube in opening and` closing the device,

yieldable means normally urging apart said arm and said handle, means limiting the spread of said handle under the urge of said yieldable l means to define the closed position of said inner tube, and trigger means engaging said rack seg ment to lock said arm and handle in compressed position and the device in its opened condition against the tension of said yieldable means.

5. In a sampling Vdevice for iluids embodying iiuids embodying soy a pair of telescoped tubes each having a plu-fr rality of longitudinally extending slots adapted to be brought into registry to open the device',y

a head rigidly attached to the outer tube, a recess therein, a handle member integral with said head, a pinion gear on the inner tube seated in the recess in said head, an aperture through said headvopening into said recess, a rack segment in said aperture and movable therethrough in engagement withsaid gear, an-arm pivotally connected at one end to said handle and at its other end to said rack and movable relative to said handle to rotate the inner tube in opening and closing the device, and yieldable means normally urging apart said arm and said handle.

6. In a sampling device for fluids embodying a pair of telescoped tubes each having a plurality of longitudinally extending slots adapted to be brought into registry to open the device, a head rigidly attached to the outer tube, a recess therein, a handle member integral with said head, a pinion gear on the inner tube seated in the recess in said head, an aperture through said head opening into said recess, a rack segment in said aperture and movable therethrough in engagement with said gear, an arm pivotally connected at one end to said handle and at its' other end to said rack and movable relative to said handle to rotate the inner tube in opening and closing the device, yieldable means normally urging apart said arm and said handle, means limiting the spread of the arm and handle under the tension of said yieldable means to define the closed position of said inner tube, and trigger means engaging said rack to lock said arm and said handle in compressed position and the device in its opened condition against the tension of said yieldable means.

'7. In a sampling device for fluids embodying a pair of telescoped tubes each having a plurality of longitudinally extending slots adapted to be brought into registry in the opening and closing of the device, a pair of longitudinally extending fins disposed on either side of the slots in the outer of the telescoped tubes.

JOHN SOLLIE.` 

